POETRY BLAST
Some words fly like arrows
to their target.
Some veer, tell it slant.
Spin-bowled,
some ricochet unpredictably.
But we know it is poetry
when we see how they all
© Kate O’Neil
Monthly Archives: March 2019
“PUT IT IN THE BAD POEM SECTION” by Alessandra Liverani
Leave a commentPUT IT IN THE BAD POEM SECTION
I’ve been told to write a really bad poem
It goes against the grain but sometimes you gotta show ‘em
That you can write the baddest, the baddest of bad
In the bad poem section, you’ve got something to addNow normally my poems perfectly rhyme and flow
They dance and they sing, a line would never end in apropos
They’re deep, so very deep that their bottom has never been found
In the deep and meaningful section is where they’re usually crowned
It goes against the grain but sometimes you gotta show ‘em
That you can write the baddest, the baddest of bad
In the bad poem section, you’ve got something to addNow normally my poems perfectly rhyme and flow
They dance and they sing, a line would never end in apropos
They’re deep, so very deep that their bottom has never been found
In the deep and meaningful section is where they’re usually crowned
But just for a laugh, just for something different to do
I thought I’d write a poem which would get the kind of review
That you wouldn’t wipe your bum with, for fear of being contaminated
Write one for which the reviewers had only vitriolic hatred
So this is my offering to put in the bad poem section
I hope it gets added to many bad poem collections
But I’d like it to be known, I make this statement bold
That all my other poems are sheer solid gold!
“Revolution” by Jackie Hosking
Leave a commentRevolution
Many moons ago
Copernicus, you know
Unearthed that planets dance around the sun
The earth, it seemed, was not
The central turning spot
Around which universal bodies spun
Then came Galileo
Another spacey fellow
Who thought Copernicus was quite correct
But the church became afraid
Of the viewpoints being made
So they locked him up to mute his intellect
But before these confrontations
As he peered at constellations
Through his telescope, he soon discovered more
While the earth had only one,
A greater distance from the sun
Was Jupiter with moons that totaled four
Now centuries down the track
As we marvel, looking back
Just how very brave these innovators were
Giving birth to modern science
With their obstinate defiance
Means that trips to outer space can now occur
“Me and the Genie” by Helen Katz
Leave a comment
I was out in the garden
Just digging away
And planting some seeds
On this beautiful day,
When I dug up a lamp
Quite out of the blue,
It must have been magic,
I knew what to do.
I rubbed on the lamp
And a Genie appeared,
Not a beautiful girl
But a fellow I feared!
‘You’re disturbing my sleep!’
The Genie said.
‘This had better be good,
Or I’ll pummel your head.’
A gruesome beard
A devilish grin
I wished like hell
I could put him back in.
‘Well what do you want?’
The bully pursued.
‘Thank you for asking,’
I sheepishly mewed.
‘Now, get on with your wish,
I was having a dream
of a beautiful maiden.
We were sharing ice-cream.’
‘Really?’ I said,
And I laughed till I cried.
The Genie was miffed,
I had injured his pride.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said,
And he calmed down a tad.
‘So what is your wish?’
That made me feel glad.
‘I can’t wait all day’,
With his hands on his hips
I considered my choices,
This came to my lips:
‘I know what I want
for us both in the end.
Stay here in Carnegie
and just be my friend.’
“BEWARE THE IDEAS OF MARCH” by Kate O’Neil
Leave a commentBEWARE THE IDEAS OF MARCH
The Ideas of March
are meant to be mad,
so get with the times;
be suitably clad.
The hatters are busy –
no time to be lazy –
and what they are doing
is totally crazy.
So go the full motley –
(March is your chance)
Kick up your heels
in a wacky dance.
Let down your hair
or go in for shaving.
My crazy idea is to
go out stark raving.
I told all my friends.
They served me a warning:
‘Stay home. Don’t go out.
This isn’t your morning.
If you do your thing
and defy our advice
the knives will be out.
You’d better think twice.’
“Friendship 7” by Chris Owen with Notes
Leave a commentFriendship 7*
‘10 seconds and counting…Godspeed, John Glenn’…
The candle is lit. Life on the line.
Locked inside, he can only wait.
An arrow aimed at heaven.
Hearts pounding. The clock ticks.
Millions watch live,
as engines roar,
‘Set us free!’
The crew:
one
hero.
…‘Lift-off!’
Copyright (Chris Owen 2019)
*On February 20th 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in his Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7. In the historic trip Glenn passed directly over Perth, WA. As a greeting to the astronaut, many of the city’s councils, businesses and inhabitants turned on extra lights. Some even created special beacons using white bedsheets and their Hills Hoist washing lines. Glenn famously acknowledged the brightness of the lights and asked that the people of Perth be thanked for their efforts.
“STARMAN ENVY” by Kate O’Neil
Leave a commentSTARMAN ENVY
(for Elon Musk)
When Starman blasted into space
he didn’t turn a hair.
He didn’t bother with goodbyes.
His tummy had no butterflies.
He had no sparkle in his eyes.
He didn’t seem to care.
This guy really blows my mind;
he’s totally bizarre.
He’s driving through the galaxy
as if that’s where he ought to be;
as if it’s really ordinary
to be there in a car.
That car alone would be enough
to make me start to drool.
Yet here he is among the stars,
maybe even seeing Mars!
His lack of interest really jars;
the man must be a fool.
How I wish they’d chosen me.
Why spend all that money
to realise an awesome dream
with such a failing in the scheme.
I think it’s crazy in the extreme
to waste it on a dummy.
© Kate O’Neil
“Cosmic Glitter” by Celia Berrell
Leave a commentCosmic Glitter
Twinkle twinkle, cloudless night.
The stars are sparkling clear and bright.
Those pin-prick suns send rays of light
that blink and wink to our delight.
Most stars don’t twinkle at their source,
it’s just some rays get knocked off-course.
Their glittering images appear
because of Earth’s own atmosphere.
The layers of air around our world
like flimsy see-through curtains swirl,
and dapple starlight passing through.
So, does the moonlight twinkle too?
first published in CSIRO’s Scientriffic magazine issue #78 March 2012
Australian Children’s Poetry 